


Before the Storm

by a_q



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arguing, F/M, Kissing, Love Bites, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Prison, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-11
Packaged: 2017-11-18 10:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_q/pseuds/a_q
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma picks her boy from the jail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [A/B/O Ladies: het/femslash ficathon](http://a-b-o-ladies.livejournal.com/).
> 
> Canon divergence: Emma only worked for Shaw during the deal with Colonel Hendry, and wasn't at the boat when Erik attacked. Later, she went to pick up Alex from the jail.

”Ma'am, you are wasting your time with this one, if you ask me,” the warden said as he walked down the hallway, the keys jingling in his belt. ”Kid's rap sheet is a mile long. Do you know what got him in here this time? Drinking and destruction of the public property. He set park benches on fire. For fun.”

”I know. Thank you,” Emma said. The warden shook his head, and stopped at the cell door. He thought Alex was trash, and for that, Emma wanted to wipe his mind cleaner than the floor they walked on, but it wasn't worth the trouble. She had manipulated his mind, so he now believed that she was a case worker, a beta and here to take Alex to an another facility. The warden had been more than happy to file Alex as a closed case. 

The warden stopped at the cell door, fumbling with the keys as he looked for the right one. Emma used the time to listen. She moved past the sludge of the warden's mind, the restless buzz of young people outside this hallway and zeroed in the elegant, smooth shape of Alex's mind. He wasn't doing well. Emma had to fold her hands to keep from snatching the keys from the warden's hand. She was ready to scream when he finally unlocked the door, pulling it open with a visible strain. 

The cell was dark, the only window small and barred, near the ceiling. Alex laid on a narrow cot, hands folded behind his head. 

“Summers! On your feet!” the warden commanded. Alex got up slowly, making a point that he was doing this on his own pace. He didn't stand up either. He sat there, leaning his back against the concrete wall and staring at them without a word. 

“You are released in Ms. Frost's custody. You know what that means?” When there was no reply, the warden raised his voice. “It means she'll have the trouble looking after you, and you better show some gratitude or you'll be back in here, you hear?”

“No thank you.”

“What?”

“I said, no thank you. I'm fine right here.” He directed the words at her, his mind coiling red. 

“You should thank Ms. Frost on your hands and knees for wasting any time with the likes of you! Get up, you are out of here.”

“Excuse me,” Emma interrupted before the situation could escalate. The warden turned to look at her. “Maybe I should handle this. If you could wait in the hallway, while I have a word with Mr. Summers? Thank you.”

“Mister is it? Ha! That would be the day,” the warden muttered but trudged back to the hallway. Emma leaned her shoulder on the door frame, waiting him to get out of earshot. Alex stared at her, his mind informing her to shove it. Emma smiled and leaned to look around the cell. 

“Lovely. I can see why you prefer this over coming home with me.”

“Home? What home? You left.”

“I told you I would come back in a few days.”

“You were gone three weeks! Not a word from you, I didn't know if you were dead or alive!” He looked away, staring at the concrete wall like there was some divine revelation written in it. “You should've called.” 

He was right of course. She should've called, but it had been a tricky job. Pay was good, but she didn't trust Shaw. If he got a whiff of Alex... No. That possibility was too disturbing to even consider. 

She hadn't contacted Alex to protect him, and now she had to deal with the fallout. Emma felt the warden getting bored, his mind fluctuating between wanting to take a coffee break and walking over here to drag Alex out from the scruff of his neck. That wouldn't do. Emma straightened up.

”You know how my work is, and we'll talk about it, but not here. Let's go.”

“No.”

Emma stepped in the cell, sitting next to him on the cot. He didn't look at her, but he didn't move away. Emma reached to take his hand.

“I'm sorry I scared you,” she said. “Would you forgive me and come home with me? Please?”

“Why? Nothing will change. Nothing ever changes. You'll leave and I'm stuck sitting in an empty apartment. So it doesn't matter if I sit here or there.”

“Darling, I know it's hard to wait,” Emma said, reaching to touch his shoulder. “Patience. You will get your heat soon, we'll bond and it will be alright then, you know that. You'll know where I am, and I'll know where you are. We will be together, trust me.”

“If you say so,” he muttered. There was a shadow at the edge of his mind. She couldn't erase it, not completely, but there was something she could do to ease his fears. 

“Come here,” she said and pulled him closer. She stroked his cheek, tilting his head to bare his throat. She kissed his warm skin, inhaling his scent, so sweet and lovely that it made her heart ache. She nipped, a careful bite, and he relaxed against her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

”That's not fair Em,” he muttered, eyes closed. “It's not the same.”

But his mind calmed, so she bit harder, stroking his back the way he liked, biting down once more before settling to kiss his warm skin, licking over the forming bruise. One more kiss and Emma lifted her head, looking at him. 

”There. Better?” 

“Yeah. I guess.” 

Emma pecked a quick kiss to his lips before helping him up. 

“Let's get your things. I got us a hotel room for the night, and tomorrow we'll go anywhere you like. What do you think of Hawaii?” 

“Really? We could go?”

“Of course. Anywhere you like,” Emma repeated, brushing his mouth to wipe away the smudge of lipstick. His mind brightened with the thought of sun and sand. 

Emma stepped out the cell and Alex followed her. She stopped when she noticed the pair at the end of the hallway, talking to the warden. The alpha controlled the discussion, his mate standing silently next to him. Emma didn't know him, but the alpha she recognized at once. 

Xavier. Of course. The bastard could zone in on the helpless with the frightening accuracy.

He stopped talking and turned to look at her like he had picked up that sentiment through her shields. He smiled and instinctively Emma stepped in front of Alex. She didn't like that look. 

”Alex Summers?”

“He is released to my care,” Emma answered, coldly. “You can direct your questions to me, thank you.”

“I'm sorry, do we know each other?” Xavier asked, walking closer. He poked around the edges of her shield, eyes widening in surprise as he realized what she was doing. Emma felt her diamond core pushing up, her fingers itching to lash out. 

“No, we don't. Excuse us.” 

Emma reached behind her, taking Alex's hand in her own, squeezing his fingers shortly. She started to walk toward the end of the hallway, pulling Alex along. Xavier didn't move to let her pass and she stopped in front of him. The mate folded his arms, like he was ready to back up any play Xavier had, and the warden stared at them all, confused. 

“I didn't find any paperwork that proves that you can to take Summers with you,” Xavier said. “I'm sure you can provide it if I asked?”

“Of course. Can you?”

They both knew that the warden was the one played here, that there was no papers of any kind. Xavier smiled and turned to look at his mate. Emma saw the thought pass between them, slow and clumsy. They weren't bonded. Interesting. Alex squeezed her hand, but Emma didn't want to take her eyes from Xavier. He was a slippery one. The silent conversation seemed to end and Xavier turned back to look at her. 

“I suppose we would be happy just to hear Mr. Summers here to tell us that he's leaving out of his own free will, that's all. Mr. Summers?”

“Yeah, sure. I want to leave,” Alex said. 

“That's understandable. Though, you can leave with us, if you like. Completely up to you,” Xavier offered. His mate looked bored, like he had heard this conversation ten times over already.

“He said he wanted to leave with me,” Emma said, not able to stop her voice from tensing. They would take Alex over her dead body. 

The warden seemed to have enough of this conversation and he straightened, trying to appear authoritative. “I think we need to take this to my office, to sort this out. Summers can go back to the cell to wait,” he said and opened the door that lead to the next hallway. 

Emma reached for him, but Xavier was faster, trapping his mind like a goldfish into a plastic bag. The warden stopped, his hand on the lock, his face gone blank if he had fallen asleep eyes open.

“Neat trick,” Emma said. “But you have to do better if you think you can beat me.”

“I think we got off on a wrong foot,” he said. “I'm Charles Xavier and this is...” 

”I know who you are,” Emma said. “You are CIA's new pet project. They finally found someone who can operate their machine, didn't they, to collect all the wayward omegas back to the flock. Some job you have.”

“I'm merely trying to help.” 

“Out of the goodness of your heart, I bet? Not because you want a collection of omegas for your own use? No, that couldn't be it. Could it?” Emma said, daring him to deny it. 

“I'm not going to dignify that with an answer.” 

He looked genuinely offended. Emma scoffed, shaking her head. She knew he wouldn't deny it. Alex clutched her arm tighter, his mind brimming with anxiety again. Xavier glanced at him, brushing over his thoughts like patting a dog. Emma slashed the connection, fragmenting it to pieces. Xavier winced, the pain a surprise.

“Don't you _dare_ touch him,” Emma said low, the sudden burst of anger in the back of her mind urging her to claw Xavier's eyes out for touching what was hers. “Move aside. I won't ask again.” 

His mate reacted to her tone, flexing his hands and moving closer. Emma wasn't sure what his mutation was, but it was hand commanded. She would break his fingers first. Alex tensed behind her, breathing too shallowly, the way he got when he was on the edge to use his powers. He could kill them all if he lost it. Xavier picked the thought from her and she allowed it. 

“Erik, stop!” Xavier commanded and pressed his hand flat against his mate's chest to push him back. It was obvious that this Erik didn't want to do it, but he obeyed nonetheless. Well, he had some promise. Maybe Xavier would make a honest man out of him someday. Emma reached to pull Alex to her side, holding him as firmly as Xavier hold his. There was a tense silence and then Xavier nodded to the open door.

“I'm sorry for the confusion. We won't keep you any longer. Nice meeting you, Alex. If you need anything...”

“He doesn't. Not from you,” Emma said and pushed Alex past the frozen guard, out the door. She held Alex close all the way to the car, shielding him as well as herself. She didn't feel a single tug or prod. She breathed easier when they were down the freeway, and she felt the juvenile center vanishing behind them. 

“That was weird,” Alex said, turning the radio on, searching for a station. “Who was he?”

“He's bad news,” Emma said. “Have you though where you want to go? What do you think about Japan?”

“What happened to Hawaii?”

Emma glanced at him and reached to brush his cheek. 

“Let's see if we could find the edge of the world. What do you think?”

“Sure.” The radio channel frizzed for a second, then blues filled the car. Alex leaned his head against the window, staring at the road. “Can we get something to eat?”

“Of course,” Emma smiled and turned to look at the road.   
She didn't know if even the edge of the world was far enough from Xavier. But she had to try.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Before the Storm (the deliquent's choice remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2101257) by [afrocurl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl)




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